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BLONDE PHANTOM

The Blonde Phantom (Louise Grant Mason) is a fictional masked crimefighter in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Syd Shores for Marvel predecessor Timely Comics, she first appeared in All Select Comics #11 (Fall 1946), during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.

As superheroes began to fade out of fashion in the post-war era, comic book publishers scrambled to explore new types of stories, characters, and audiences. In an attempt to appeal to young female readers, comics companies began introducing some of the first significant superheroines since Wonder Woman. These new female leads would include Timely's Golden Girl, Miss America, Namora, Sun Girl, and Venus, and its teen-humor star Millie the Model; Fox Comics' revival of Quality Comics' Phantom Lady; and DC's Black Canary.

The Blonde Phantom debuted in All Select Comics which became Blonde Phantom Comics the following issue. The series lasted a little over two years (from #12-22, Winter 1946 to March 1949), during which time the crimefighter also appeared as a backup feature in:

Marvel Mystery Comics #84-91 (Oct. 1947 - April 1949)

All Winners Comics #1 (Aug. 1948)

Sub-Mariner Comics #25-28 & 30 (Spring - Oct. 1948 & Feb. 1949)

all three issues of Blackstone the Magician (#2-4, May-Sept. 1948)

Namora #2 (Oct. 1948)

Sun Girl #2-3 (Oct.-Dec. 1948).

The character was the province of no one artist, and aside from originator Shores, her adventures in this wide variety of comics were pencilled by Vince Alascia, Ken Bald, Allen Bellman, Carl Burgos, Vernon Henkel, Mike Sekowsky, Ed Winiarski, the pseudonymous Charles Nicholas, and others. When not inking themselves, the pencilers were embellished by inkers including Al Avison, Jack Binder, and Harry Sahle.

Blonde Phantom Comics changed titles and formats completely to become the anthological romance comic Lovers with issue #23 (May 1949).

MORE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blonde_Phantom

MORE: http://www.comicvine.com/blonde-phantom/49-19401/

Marvel's Blonde Phantom (not the first of the crowd, but an early one) was Louise Grant, a secretary, whose boss, Mark Mason, ran a private detective agency. During working hours, she would type for him and take his dictation, but afterward she assumed her alternate identity and took a more active role in helping him wrap up his cases. Mark, Louise and Blondie formed a two-person love triangle, just like Lois, Clark and Superman, with drab little Louise, her glorious mane trimly packed up in a bun, secretly pining for her boss while Mark, his detective skills (like those of the earlier Silver Scorpion's detective boss, insufficient to see through the disguise, went gaga over the glamorous crime fighter.

The Blonde Phantom's costume was designed more for sex appeal than practicality, but in a different way than those of most superhero women. Her ankle-length evening dress, with its bare midriff, and her spike heels, stood in contrast to the more popular bathing suit style outfit, but still seemed as much of a hindrance to superhero work as the usual lack of body covering. At least the skirt allowed a little freedom of movement by being slit up the side. To balance these disadvantages, she packed a .45 automatic (tho it isn't clear how she carried it when it wasn't actually in her hand).

Several sources list All Select Comics #1 as her first appearance, but this is incorrect — she actually debuted in the 11th issue (Fall, 1946). She was created by writer/editor Stan Lee (X-Men, Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor and so much more) and artist Syd Shores (who handled most of Marvel's '40s heroes at one time or another, and also co-created The Two-Gun Kid. The character may have been inspired by a story in Marvel's Millie the Model #2 (October, 1946, which probably appeared at roughly the same time as All Select #11), where Millie dressed up in a different "Blonde Phantom" costume to promote a new brand of perfume — or perhaps the inspiration went in the opposite direction.

MORE: http://www.toonopedia.com/blondeph.htm

The Blonde Phantom

She was one of the first creations from the pen of a young writer named Stan Lee. As strong as Lee's concept was, many pin her popularity on the abilities of artist Syd Shores. He is one of the greatest and most dependable artists of the Golden Age. One of his other notable creations is the Two-Gun Kid. His fantastic skill helped the Blonde Phantom to last quite a while as superheroes were dying off in the reader's eye.

The Blonde Phantom was part of a wave of comic creations that began around 1946. Superheroes were starting to drop in popularity, but no other genre had solidly established itself in the public's eye. In a few years, both westerns and romance would start to find huge audiences, but by 1946, publishers were starting to worry about their core audience. With the future of comics uncertain, there were a few attempts to create new superheroes for the reading public. The best of these new creations were often female heroes.

MORE: http://marvel.wikia.com/File:BlondePhantom15.jpg

MORE: http://www.atlastales.com/sT/45

ART BY DAN SPIEGLE

MORE: http://www.paultobin.net/?p=966

LOUISE GRANT

MORE: http://marvel.wikia.com/Blonde_Phantom

The Least Feminist Comics Heroine Of All Time

…is the Blonde Phantom.

For those not in the know, the Blonde Phantom is a Golden Age Marvel comics character from the Timely era. (Of course, comics being comics, she eventually showed up as a middle-aged version of herself in John Byrne’s She-Hulk run, and her daughter eventually became the Phantom Blonde, her successor. Of course, comics also being comics, the Blonde Phantom was eventually de-aged by science or possibly magic. I forget which it was. The point is that she became a hot babe again.)

MORE: http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2009/03/23/the-least-feminist-comics-heroine-of-all-time/

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